Battling disease: TB treatment success rate reaches 88%

Govt promises full support to TB Control Programme.

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) tuberculosis (TB) control programme has a success rate of 88%, according to an official handout issued on Sunday.

A quarterly evaluation meeting regarding the TB Control Programme in K-P was held in Peshawar on Sunday. Chaired by Director Health Services Dr Abdul Ghafoor, the meeting discussed the diagnosis for TB, registration process and various treatment problems faced at health facilities in all districts.

According to the handout, directly observed treatment short course (DOTS), free sputum examination and free six month treatment regimen is provided to patients suffering from TB in all districts at basic health units, teaching hospitals and other health facilities.

The handout further states a total of 810 diagnostic centres and 228 treatment centres are working in the province under the TB Control Programme with a success rate of 88%.

In 2010, a total of 35,415 TB cases were registered in K-P. In 2011, a total of 35,127 patients were registered, while in 2012, 35,848 cases of TB were reported. All these patients are receiving free treatment from the provincial government.

“Incidentally, cases of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis are also increasing in the province and the TB Control Programme is providing facilities for its treatment and control at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in Peshawar and Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) in Abbottabad,” the handout reads.

It also maintains that dual infections of AIDS and TB are a challenge for the programme however treatment facilities for such patients is available at all teaching hospitals in K-P and will soon be extended to district hospitals.

Dr Ghafoor expressed satisfaction with the control programme and stressed that more work can be done to further improve its performance. He announced the provincial government will give full support to the TB Control Programme at all levels.

Senior health officials including TB Technical Expert Dr Maqsood Bangash, Project Manager Dr Obaid Hussain, representatives of the National TB Control Programme, district health officers and the district TB control officers participated in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2013.